Improvement in hose-couplings



H. WOLF. Hose-Coupling.

N0.]54 ,536 Patented Aug.25,1874.

ATTEST:

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UNITED STATES HIRAM WOLF, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO MISSOURIWOLF AND PATENT OFFICE.

OALPHUNIA FITZGERALD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOSE-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,536, dated August25, 1874 application filed May 8, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HIRAM WOLF, of St. Louis,St. Louis county, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Hose-Couplings, of which the following is aspecification:

This is an improvement on that class of couplings in which the twomembers are con freeze in the dovetail, and would render the couplingdifficult and less perfect.

The second part of my improvement con sists in providing the members ofthe coupling with slots to enable the key to be passed through toprevent uncoupling. The key has a side lug, and has upon the other sidea spring by which the lug is caused to engage the side of the slotto'prevent the extraction of the key without the in-pressure of thesprlng.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is an end view.Fig. 3 is a side view. Fig. 4 is an axial section. Fig. 5 is a side viewof the spring-key.

A and B are two similar necks, which en ter the ends of the sections ofhose, and are secured thereto as usual by straps or wrapping. On theneck A is a flange, 0, having upon opposite sides dovetail lips or lugsD, to engage the dovetail edges 6 of the flange E upon the otherpa'rt ofthe coupling. d is an aperture in the central part of each lip D. Theseapertures are to destroy the harbor for mud which the dovetails wouldafl'ord if they extended all across the coupling, the said mud beingliable to freeze hard in winter-time and make coupling difficult,whereas, with this aperture the holding surfaces of the dovetail grooveare so short that the flange E would readily clear its way on entering.F F are lugs on the ends of the flange E to receive the blows of thehammer, where one is used in coupling or uncoupling. The flange Enarrows toward the end F, which enters first, so that it as is driven init becomes tighter, and

forces the face a against that, c, of the flange G. The faces a and eare not perpendicular to the axis of the coupling, but are inclined, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. This inclination is such that a tensional strainupon the hose will tend to draw the coupling tighter. G and H are studsor projections upon one end of the flanges C and E, to indicate theproper position to enter the flange E between the lugs or lips D, thestuds being in contiguity when the coupling is engaged. This is animportant provision, as the couplings are often put together in the darkin cases of fires, and an indicator, such as G H, sensible to the touch,would save valuable time. In the face 0 is a circular groove containinga rubber gasket or packing, I, which is compressed by the face 6 to makea tight joint. Kis a springkey passing through a slot, L, in the flangesG and E. The key has a spring-back, k, and is recessed out on the frontside, leaving at the .end a lug, It, so that the spring causes the lugto engage the edge of the slot and hold the key in place. The purpose ofthis key is to prevent the accidental disengagement of the coupling. Thekey may be attached by a chain, M. a

I claim herein as new and of my invention- 1. The dovetailed lips D,having orifices d, as described, in combination with the matching-flangeE, for the purpose specified.

2. The hose-coupling A B, having flanges G E, and key-slot L, incombination with the spring-key K k, as and for the purpose set forth.

HIRAM WOLF.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT,

ROBERT BUENs.

